UAV

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, industry leaders and elected officials celebrated the launch of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight operations for large unmanned aerial systems (UAS) on Monday at Grand Sky, a UAS-focused research and development park at Grand Forks AFB, N.D. “Flying large UAS beyond visual line of sight in the national

Multiple defense communities will benefit from the Federal Aviation Administration’s selection of six winning proposals to develop unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test sites, with one active-base community and one BRAC site hosting research locations, and numerous military installations expected to participate in the effort to safely integrate drones into the nation’s airspace. State and local officials from across the country anxiously awaited Monday’s announcement as winning hosts of test sites are expected to bolster their economies through the growth of companies and university programs involved in UAS research and manufacturing …

The Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s 111th Fighter Wing, located at Horsham Air Guard Station, will take on ground control for the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial system starting Oct. 1, officials announced Wednesday. The new mission for the 111th helps make up for the loss of the unit’s A-10 fighter jets, which were realigned following the 2005 round of base closures. The wing will add a total of 250 military and civilian jobs, including about 75 full-time jobs, reported the Morning Call. Sequestration could delay the new mission from going ahead, though, as the base currently has a hiring freeze, said a spokesman. The Air Guard station is located at the former Naval Air Station Willow Grove in suburban Philadelphia.

One drawback to converting the 178th Fighter Wing mission from flying the F-16, and running a flight school for the fighter aircraft, to a combined intelligence/reconnaissance mission is that the community surrounding the Springfield Air National Guard Base in west central Ohio no longer can see or hear the base’s new mission. “We want to share with the community what we’re doing,” said Col. Gregory Schnulo, commander of the 178th. “We just can’t right now.”

Officials with DOD, Oklahoma State University, and the Oklahoma state government are proposing an “air corridor” near Fort Sill for UAVs (Unmanned Arial Vehicles), according to DOD Buzz. Army commanders continue to call for more UAVs to be designed and produced, while engineers complain that they have little opportunity to do any testing with the UAVs because of regulations put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration …

Two Dayton, Ohio, organizations are trying to work out a potential conflict over their respective efforts to obtain FAA approval to use airspace for unmanned aerial vehicle research and training. The region’s plan to bolster development in UAV-related industries is at stake …